FINAL: PENN STATE 14, TEMPLE 10
PHILADELPHIA — It would a mistake to think that Penn State played well — even medium well — in its 14-10 victory over Temple on Saturday in Lincoln Financial Field.
The Nittany Lions missed three field goals, threw an interception, almost lost a fumble just four yards from scoring the winning touchdown, had a punt blocked, had a holding penalty to call back a TD and also made an illegal hit on Temple’s last-gasp drive to win the game.
Still, Penn State raised its record to 2-1, as Temple fell to 2-1.
Silas Redd scored on a 17-yard TD run and Michael Zordich’s one-yard plunge late in the game gave the Lions two touchdowns, which is all they needed.
That’s thanks to the Penn State defense, which had two interceptions and recovered a fumble.
FOURTH QUARTER: PENN STATE 14, TEMPLE 10
The Nittany Lion defense gave its offensive counterparts a chance by forcing another turnover, this time an interception by Chaz Powell.
PSU took over at the Owls’ 26, but was forced to try a field goal after gaining just seven yard on three plays. Forced is the right word.
The Nittany Lions’ Evan Lewis attempted a three-pointer from 36 yards that hit the right goal post and bounced back. No good.
It was Penn State’s third missed field goal attempt of the day, and its fifth in five tries in 2011.
The Penn State offense quickly got the ball back when Owl QB was intercepted by Michael Mauti. The Lions started the drive on the Temple 44, with Bolden at quarterback. On a fourth and 2 from the 23, Bolden connected with Moye on the slant across the middle for 11 yards and a first down.
Bolden fumbled at the 4, yet gaind a yard when Michael Zordich recovered. That set up a fourth and one from the 3. The place-kicking team took the field, but Penn State called timeout.
The offense came onto the field, and Bolden handed off the ball to Brandon Beachum. First down.
With 3 minutes left in the game, Penn State had the ball at the one-yard line. Zordich carried the ball in for the touchdown with 2:42 to play. Lewis added the PAT to cap off a 12-play, 44-yard drive that lasted 6:04.
Penn State 14, Temple 10
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THIRD QUARTER: TEMPLE 10, PENN STATE 7
Penn State’s defense started the second half inspired. Lion defensive end Sean Stanley tackled Owl QB Chester Stewart for a four-yard loss, then defensive tackle Devon Still sacked Stewart for six yards.
Temple punted, but by the time the Penn State offense took the field it was in a hole. Temple punter Brandon McManus booted the ball 53 yards, PSU’s Justin Brown muffed the punt and the Lions were hit with a personal foul penalty.
That put the Lions’ ball at their own 7. No matter. McGloin went back to work.
McGloin completed a pair of passes to Moye, for 18 and 11 yards. But a holding call on Shawney Kersey stalled the drive, and after an Anthony Fera punt the Owls took over on their own 34 with 8:50 left in the third quarter.
Then, Penn State Michael Mauti forced Temple’s Bernard Pierce to fumble, and Sean Stanley recovered to give the Nittany Lions the ball on its own 48.
Penn State went back to Bolden. Who promptly threw an interception.
On his first play since early in the second quarter, and on the first play by Penn State since forcing the fumble, Bolden tried to hit Moye on a sideline route. Temple’s Kee-ayra Griffin made a nice diving grab for the interception.
Drive over. Momentum ended.
With McGloin back in the game, the Nittany Lions started to get it back — and it looked as of they scored.
McGloin threw a bullet across the middle to Moye, who raced to the right sideline and then outraced three Temple defenders to the end zone for an apparent touchdown. But…tackle Chima Okoli was whistled for holding to kill the TD and the drive.
Temple blocked Anthony’s Fera punt and took over at the PSU 39. Then the Owls also punted.
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HALFTIME: TEMPLE 10, PENN STATE 7
SECOND QUARTER: TEMPLE 7, PENN STATE 0
Here’s the tip: On third down and eight yards from the PSU 45, Temple cornerback Maurice Jones and linebacker Tahir Whitehead blitzed Rob Bolden from the left side. Jones got there first and tipped the ball, which floated 15 yards in the direction of Justin Brown — and was nearly intercepted.
So ended another unsuccessful Penn State drive.
Bolden is 5 of 11 passing, for 59 yards, with a sack, a tip and a pass hindered mid-release — plus one drop by Shawney Kersey.
No wonder Matt McGloin is warming up.
And in the game, to start a Nittany Lions’ drive at the 50-yard line with 8:10 left in the first half.
McGloin delivered. In his first appearance of the game, McGloin led the Nittany Lions 50 yards down the field in just 193 seconds to tie the game. Silas Redd carried the ball the final 17 yards for the Lions, and Evan Lewis added the extra point.
Penn State 7, Temple 7
On the ensuing drive, Temple inserted backup quarterback Chester Stewart into the lineup. And he moved the ball. Slowly. For a score.
Temple went 39 yards on seven plays until the Lion defense stiffened. After Penn State called a timeout (its first of the game…a far cry from last week when PSU called three in the game’s first 11 plays), Temple’s Brandon McManus kicked a 40-yard field goal with 37 seconds remaining in the first half.
Temple 10, Penn State 7
McGloin tried to make the most of that time. Starting at the Penn State 17, he completed an eight-yard pass to Justin Brown. Then, following an incompletion and a three-yard run by Brandon Beachum, McGloin connected with Derek Moye on a 40-yard bomb along the right sideline.
That set up a 49-yard field goal attempt by Nittany Lion freshman Sam Ficken. The kick was blocked by Temple as time ran out in the first half.
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FIRST QUARTER: TEMPLE 7, PENN STATE 0
Temple didn’t take long to prey on a couple of Penn State mistakes to march 82 yards in eight plays to take a 7-0 lead with 6:34 left in the first quarter.
Owl tailback Bernard Pierce ran two yards for a touchdown, and Brandon McManus made the PAT to give Temple the lead following a 4-minute, 2-second drive. The key play in the drive — Temple’s first of the game — was a 33-yard pass from Owl QB Mike Gerardi to Deon Miller, who beat Stephon Morris on the play.
Chaz Powell was subsequently called for interference on the next play, then Lion linebacker Mike Mauti was whistled for a face-masking penalty.
Temple 7, Penn State 0
The Lions’ offense started the game with the ball after a fake reverse on the return by Chaz Powell, who gained 12 yards on the return to the PSU 22.
Over the next eight plays for the Lions, the visitors faced some good and lots of bad. What went right: Rob Bolden’s two completed passes to Justin Brown, for 19 and 11 yards.
What went wrong: A false start by tight end Anthony Szczerba to start the game, two yards on two carries by Silas Redd, a sack of Bolden and a pass attempt by Bolden that was nearly a fumble.
11:30 A.M. (30 MINUTES TO KICKOFF): PATERNO UPDATE
Check that — Joe Paterno is on the sidelines, at least for warm-ups. Dressed in a blue and windbreaker, tan khakis and black coaching shoe, Paterno met at the 45-yard line with Temple coach Steve Adazzio.
Paterno was sans cane — it was being held by a Penn State staffer along the sidelines. At 11:32, Joe was still along the sidelines, standing alone with his hands in his pockets. He’s a good five yards off of the playing field.
11:38 a.m. — Paterno…slowly..walked off the field.
11:15 A.M. (45 MINUTES TO KICKOFF): QB ROULETTE
Penn State’s three quarterbacks rotated hand-offs in warm-ups, each getting the opportunity to work with starting tailback Silas Redd — and all of the other backs. So far this season, turning the ball over to a running back is what they have done best.
Penn State ranks 118th in the nation among all 120 BCS teams in passing efficiency, ahead of only Kent State and Western Kentucky. Despite his 1 for 10 performance against Alabama last week, Matt McGloin has a higher efficiency rating (74.82) than Rob Bolden (73.67). Neither is rated among the top 100 BCS quarterbacks; No. 100 has a ratiung of 104.24.
The Nittany Lions are 119th in completion percentage at 40.7, ahead of Army — and excelling at the ground game is what West Point is all about. Lastly (well, not quite), the Lions rank 115th in average yards per pass attempt, with 4.37.
11 A.M. (ONE HOUR TO KICKOFF): CROWD MIA & JOE’S RIDE N
What if they held a football game and only 327 fans actually came inside the stadium?
That’s the way it feels inside Lincoln Financial Field. A noon kickoff, plus backed-up traffic that makes the D.C. Beltway look like Westerly Parkway, have conspired to make it feel like The Missing Linc — as in, the fans are missing.
About 250 Temple students, seating at the corner of the Owls’ sidelines, and the special teams players from Penn State and Temple, comprise about 60 percent of the visible inhabitants of the stadium.
Seen driving into the game along Broad Street at 10:10 a.m.:
Joe Paterno was riding shotgun in the right front window seat of a black Fullington bus, the first a three-bus Penn State contingent. Leaning against the front window was Paterno’s walking cane — a sign that Paterno will probably watch the game from the coaches box. If he does, it will be the third consecutive game he’s not on the field.
